Citrus
by kunoichi79
Summary: 10th seat Tatsuya Takeuchi was more than ready to finally call it a night. Being the newest seated officer in the fourth division has its tiresome perks, and she was just happy to arrive at her last paperwork delivery at the tenth division. Little did she know,.. [Lemony Citrus] HitsuOC.


**Au/N: I was really reluctant of posting this, but my cousin forced me to.**

_I know that nobody (or only a veeeeeeeery few) reads OC stories nowadays—especially when it involved the white haired captain (I'm not even sure if he's still *Spoiler*fully alive*spoiler*). I don't know what came over me three years ago that I suddenly started this naughty madness with my pervert cousin (ugh, stupid teenage hormones). I'm a hitsukarin bitch by heart and soul, but i didn't want to destroy my little babies… so eyyyah. And so, it was left buried in my laptop for almost eternity (and admittedly, I even forgot about this already) BUT the same stupid cousin snooped around my personal gigs and found __**this **__and went totally berserk why I did not publish this._

_Explaining is unnecessary and costs a lot of time, but I feel like I have to. XD _

_PS: I did not care to edit the grammatical and spelling shit, sorry. Please excuse my immature and kid self. I'm still too lazy to edit again XD two-shot. LEMONY CITRUS TEQUILA TWO-SHOT._

* * *

"Tatsuya-chan. Here are the remaining reports from the 6th division. Can you please give this to the 10th division for the final check-up? You're gonna pass by there, right?"

The young girl rolled her left shoulder once before taking the stacks of paper from the older and much taller woman. After muttering a positive response, the woman gave her a full bow, probably the lowest and most respectable bow she had received her entire life. Feeling embarrassed, she pressed her hand behind her neck and waved her other hand dismissively.

"I-Iie, there's no need to bow, Isane-fukutaicho. I'm nowhere near your troubles, after all…" She trailed off, feeling even more flustered than before. A lieutenant was bowing to her. A lieutenant! She was supposed to be the _one _doing that!

"Daijobu, Tatsuya-chan. You've worked so hard anyway so you're worth the respect. And I almost forgot! After you give them to the captain, you call it a night, hmm?" Isane patted her head her and gave her a small smile. As soon as the vice-captain was out of sight, she placed the stack into the red wagon, wherein more stacks of paper were deposited. She wondered what in heaven's name did the captain of the tenth division did to receive such torture. Then she stood up and pulled the black handle to proceed to the dim hallways.

Her small footsteps echoed as she passed by the different divisions. The somber air still lingered eerily, even worse now that there was no one to cheer up the place. She still remembered exactly a year and four months ago, she wore the black kimono for the first time as she scampered around to look for her division. It was her dream to finally see her brother again, who was one of the seated officers of the 8th division. Unluckily, she didn't get to see him all the time because she was placed at the 4th division.

Unluckily still, that their reunion lasted for only 10 months because her brother was brutally killed during the Aizen incident.

The imperishable hole in her heart continued to grow as she ventured the path alone. Despite her friends' comfort, her teammates' rowdy jokes and the usual get-togethers, her loneliness always smashed her to the core. All those smiles she wore everyday did not even touch her heart. Not even once.

As soon as she arrived at the 10th division area, the first thing she noticed was that the place was already dark and deserted. She tiptoed deliberately inside the huge gates and silently pulled her wagon in. Could it be that everyone had retired for the night already?

"I guess I'll just leave this to the captain's office then," she mused.

While she was making various turns and shortcuts into the huge hallways, her mind drifted to the young captain whom she met a few weeks after her admittance. With all dear honesty, she had never seen a guy so young and intimidating yet so accomplished. Yet with all the accomplishments bestowed upon him, she couldn't shake the feeling that he was somehow… lonely?

No, he was never alone to begin with. There was always the voluptuous and bubbly vice-captain beside him and the cute vice-captain from the 5th division who was his best friend and his rumored crush. Not only that, he was always flocked with at least a dozen of shinigamis everyday—both seated officers and ordinary wimps—because of his natural intelligence and, as what most girls had pointed, good looks.

Natural intelligence, good looks, money, power, admiration from people, love from subordinates and familiar crowds, and title... most men she knew had dreamt about those things more than once. What more could he might ask for?

She was not the most talkative person to begin with. Moreover, they never had a single decent conversation or something close to interaction except for the curt nods and quick reports. She had no right to say anything about the young man. But whenever they talk and their eyes would meet, she always finds isolation and hidden hurts trapped somewhere. He reminded her of a wounded kitten whose inner turmoil was swallowed down because of sheer pride.

She was so engrossed in her thoughts that she didn't realize she already arrived. As she neared the particular room, there was a dim reflection of a yellow light and a familiar wave of reiatsu.

So the prince of ice was still awake. He was really _something._

She took a deep breath and knocked thrice.

"Good evening, Hitsugaya-taicho. Tenth seat Tatsuya Takeuchi from the 4th division. I have the reports from the 4th, 6th, and 8th divisions."

"Come in." a deep voice responded almost inaudibly.

She slid the door open and was received by the icy teal-colored eyes that always made her gulp. His _absolutely _tired and beaten-down form slumped into the office chair, his head of pure white mane supported by a tan hand that was propped into the table full of paperwork. More stacks were beside the table and beneath the couch, and she didn't have to think twice of his vice-captain abandoning him with all the mess. Before she entered, she eyed her wagon guiltily and reprimanded herself for not coming the next day.

"Aren't you coming inside, Tatsuya?" He gazed at her with half-lidden eyes.

"G-gomen.. Hitsugaya-taicho.." She pulled the wagon with her and bowed in front of the captain before neatly added the stack into the other papers beside the couch, for fear of getting closer. She didn't know why, but her heartbeat was pacing up and she felt different emotions she couldn't comprehend by the fact that the young man was just meters away from her and the fact that he was staring at her.

"Why don't you just bring it here?" He inquired with a frown as his eyes never left her. The incomprehensive emotions rose as she struggled to find her words. The arresting teal-colored irises were illuminated by the candlelight. Her throat suddenly felt very dry.

He didn't wait for her to respond as he stood up quietly and straightened his uniform. He glided across the room and stopped when he was just a meter away. His lean figure towered over her and those icy pits scrutinizing her made her feel somewhat… exposed.

"I-I.. I uh.." She stuttered nervously as she bit her quivering lips. She clenched at her uniform tightly and lowered her head. He cocked his head to the side and moved a bit closer.

"Yes?" There was a hint of confusion in his voice, and it made her slap herself inwardly. _Shook out those weird thoughts, you silly girl!_

She cleared her throat and said the first thing that sprang into her mind without thinking.

"Taicho, why aren't you turning on the lights?"

The young captain was a bit surprised by her odd inquiry. But then, he regained his composure and replied, "The light bulbs gave up earlier this afternoon so I resorted on using candlesticks to carry on with my work. Why, is there a problem?" He quirked his brow.

Then the girl's face became thoughtful, and she replied. "No, not really, taicho. I don't mean to snoop, but isn't it a bit late for more paperwork? It's past midnight and you're still... not relaxing… " Her sentence trailed off when he scowled, his arms crossing in front of his chest. "Pot calling the kettle black? I could ask you the same thing."

She opened her mouth to say something, then closed it. _Well, he __**is **__absolutely right anyway. Who was I to tell him that when I'm not even retiring for the night?_

She continued to stare at the captain who settled himself into the couch and propped his legs comfortably into the table. Not really something she'd expect from The Hitsugaya Toushiro, but in any case this is his office and entirely his abode. And she doubt he would still receive guests at this hour to see his current position.

The permanent scowl on his face deepened as he leaned back with his eyes closed. He placed his arms behind the backrest and relaxed his entire body, somehow not a bit disturbed by the girl standing beside him and staring intently at his face. His head didn't exactly hurt, but he felt a numbing pain in it and the unlikely warmth spread around his body. Odd but pleasurable sensations filled his nerves as the heat inside him grew. Screw Matsumoto for putting odorless sake into his teapot—she knew full well that he doesn't check those up when he's busy. Screw her, screw, screw…

He pried one eye open to study the fidgeting person beside him.

Tatsuya Takeuchi, he mused. From the sparse time he interacted with her during missions, though they had never had any connection or some sort to begin with, he observed that she was not very demonstrative with regards to emotions. She was never bubbly—so unlike Hinamori and Matsumoto and preferred to work quietly to the side, treating everyone with detached respect. But in some ways she was also unlike him, because while he barked out his distaste of being treated like a child, she just remained silent—even at times wherein she was being picked at by idiotic thugs.

Suddenly, everything felt incomprehensively uncomfortable. What the _hell_ did that sake contain anyway?!

"Taicho, can I help you?"

She was petrified to see him grin like that.

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**Au/N: **_What do you think? Should I post the other half? Lol I'm on a crisis._


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